WINDHOEK – Faith-based organisations say they have had enough of gender-based violence (GBV) in Namibia and have pledged to eradicate this societal ill by joining the international ‘Thursdays in Black’ campaign.
“By taking this pledge, we say enough is enough,” said Sonia Carew, coordinator of the Ecumenical Action Against Gender-Based Violence Project run by the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN).
Together with the Helsinki Deaconess Institute, a Finnish Christian foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the group launched the GBV campaign last week, which is a world-wide human rights campaign started in the 1970s by Mothers of the Disappeared in Argentina to raise governments’ awareness of acts of violence.
The women in Argentina started wearing black sashes and gathering every Thursdays to protest in silence their departed friends and family members who were disappearing, being raped or abused by the military dictatorship.
The campaign urges everyone to wear black T-shirts, or any other black clothing or badge every Thursday as a sign of support.
“We encourage all – including men. Our women are in danger. Our men are in trouble,” said Carew, adding that although millions have been spent on GBV campaigns, nothing changes.
She urged people to seek the companionship of Jesus Christ and to pray incessantly so that “when we are on our knees, we are strongest”.
Finnish Ambassador Anne Saloranta said that GBV has killed and disabled more women and girls between the ages of 15 and 44 than cancer, traffic accidents, malaria and war combined.
“These facts illustrate the grim reality of gender-based violence in our global society,” she emphasised.
The Ambassador further informed the group that Finland’s Development Policy Program puts special emphasis on gender equality and realisation of equality between women and men, as well as girls and boys to effectively promote the attainment of broader development goals.
Elise Heikkinen-Johnstone, regional ccordinator of Helsinki Deaconess Institute said that for nearly 150 years, the institute has contributed to creating new solutions in parts of society where people are in danger of marginalisation.
She added that the institute’s services include housing services for the homeless, substance abuse work, community development services, education services and child and family welfare services.
Reverend Maria Kapere, CCN secretary general said the Ecumenical Action Against Gender-Based Violence Project came as a miracle to CCN as she was almost at the level of disillusionment about the fight against GBV.
“The prophetic voice was silent. There was no coordination. The CCN tried to bring together church leaders, then God sent Elise (Heikkinen-Johnstone),” said Kapere.
To join the campaign, people are urged to wear black on Thursdays. ‘Thursdays in Black’ pledge forms will also be distributed in newspapers for participants to sign and forward to any of the institutions handling the campaign.